All right, let's start tonight in the book of Romans, the eighth chapter, the book of Romans, chapter eight. A very familiar text. Starting in verse 28 of Romans, chapter eight, and we know. That all things work together for good to them that love God. and it doesn't just end there, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified. and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

What shall we then say to these things, if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect, It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, As it is written, for thy sakes we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord."

Now, these verses that we just read, I want to concentrate and focus on two in particular, verses 33 and 34. And verse 33 of our text asks the question, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. Now anyone who has sat under the preaching of sovereign grace and sat under the hearing of the gospel, the true gospel, for any amount of time knows what we mean when we talk about God's elect. But for those who might hear this message for the first time, and even us who are familiar with this word, I want to just review for a few minutes what this word elect means.

Now the word elect can be used as both a verb and a noun. When used as a verb, listen to this, it says, this is what it means, to carefully choose someone for a particular purpose. To select out of a group for a specific reason. Paul expands on this in Ephesians first chapter if you want to look at it. Ephesians 1, starting in verse 10. Speaking of God's elect, Paul writes this, that in the dispensation of the fullness of time, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance. being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will for this reason, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ.

This is a particular purpose to which the elect were chosen to become trophies of the exceeding grace and mercy of our God. to spend eternity around the throne of our God, praising our Savior, singing his praises, who loved us and gave himself for us, to sing what we find in Revelation. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. This is a specific reason that God the Father chose us in Christ. And as I wrote that, I thought to myself, why me? Why you? Eight billion souls on the face of this earth, the vast majority of whom will perish, many without ever hearing the name of Jesus Christ. And if we knew the mind of God, we'd know the answer to that. Why me? And if you ever lose the wonder of that, you need to worry that God would choose you and choose me out of this mass of humanity to be one of His chosen, elect children.

In John 3.17, the Lord Jesus explains His specific reason for coming to earth to die, to fulfill the purpose that we just read about of the triune God. Christ said this, for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. That doesn't mean it might happen and it might not. It means it's just as sure as the very throne of God.

Also in Hebrews 9, in verse 11, we read this, Hebrews 9, 11, being come in high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood. He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. He didn't try. The scripture tell us that he succeeded. He obtained. eternal redemption for us.

This is the only way that this could be accomplished by the pouring out of our Lord Jesus Christ, of his blood to pay for, to atone for, not his sins, but for the sins of another, for the sins of his elect.

Now, the shedding of blood was an absolute necessity to atone for sin. This is clearly stated in Hebrews 9 22 without shedding of blood is no remission, no forgiveness, no pardon, no atonement for sin. Leviticus 17 11 tells us that the life is in the blood and that certainly is true for God's elect. Our life was found in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ shed on Calvary for us.

And it could not be just any blood, it had to be the blood of the eternal Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world, as we just read. The blood of tens of thousands of sacrifices on Jewish altars for hundreds and hundreds of years did nothing to take away sin. It simply was a picture of what was to come, rather, who was to come.

But the blood of Christ has forever put away the sins of his chosen people. Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain. But Christ, the heavenly lamb, takes all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they.

Now, when used as a noun, this word elect It means one chosen or set apart a select or exclusive individual or group of people. And this is so well stated in Deuteronomy 7, 6. I love this verse. For thou art and holy people unto the Lord. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself above all the people that are upon the face of the earth. Just think about that. Our God has chosen us to be a special people, it says.

Now, I know this is Moses addressing the children of Israel, but it most certainly applies in every way possible to the elect of God in every age. Now, how can I say that? Because Ephesians chapter 1, it clearly states that God the Father has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And it says that He has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world. In the unimaginable trillions of years of eternity past, we were in Christ, chosen by a sovereign God that Celeste sang about were saved by sovereign grace. That song that Don wrote is so very true. It was God's choice, not ours.

And the very next verse in Ephesians tells us we're predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. Our God did this for reasons known but to himself. God selected, he elected, he chose a people and determined well before they were ever born that they would be the ones who would one day become his adopted children. But it wasn't just a handful of chosen sinners. The scriptures tell us it is a number that no man can number.

So we see that both the noun and the verb usage of the word elect can be applied to God's chosen. The word chosen It's found 119 times in Scriptures. And Christ Jesus made it clear who does the choosing when He said in John 15, 16, Ye have not chosen Me, I have chosen you. Could it be any plainer?

Now, some would argue that the Lord was only referring to His disciples. That's who He was speaking to at that time. But there are so many other Scriptures that speak of the choice of us in Christ before the world began and who it is that made that decision. It's 100% the choice of a sovereign God.

The word elect we find 20 times in scriptures, surprisingly four times in the book of Isaiah and 16 other times throughout the New Testament. The word election is found six times. So we see that this doctrine of election of God choosing a people before the foundation of the world is not some obscure doctrine hidden way in the corner of God's Word, it is stated over and over and over again.

So Paul asked the question in verse 33 of our text here in Romans 8, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect, implying that there are some who most certainly will lay a charge against us. But you might ask, who might that be?

Now in Revelation 12 verse 10 we read this, And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now has come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And verse nine tells us who this accuser of the brethren is. It is the great dragon, that old serpent called the devil and Satan.

But we know that his accusations have no effect whatsoever on our standing before God because of us being chosen in Christ before this universe was ever created. This one who is called the Lamb of God who intercedes for us, Isaiah 53, 12, tells us that when he offered himself as a sacrifice for the sins of his elect, Christ made intercession for the transgressors. That would be us.

elect. And verse 34 of our text here in Romans 8 tells us that our Savior is right now even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us. Now we'll look at that a little more in depth in a few minutes.

And in the 8th chapter of John we have an example of how our Lord when he was walking this earth made intercession for one of his elect. When they brought to him that woman taken in adultery in the very act, guilty, clearly guilty as charged, beyond a reasonable doubt. But John tells us how our Lord interceded for this one whom he had chosen, this one who was one of his elect from eternity past, and how he put to silence all of her accusers.

We read in John 8.10, it says, when Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. Go and sin no more.

We know from experience And we know from the scriptures that that is a command that is impossible for us to keep. Unless, this is the caveat, unless we have a substitute to keep that commandment and all others found in the word of God for us.

Now, 1st John 1.8 tells us this, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. So we, clearly, in and of ourselves, cannot keep the commandment which Christ gave this woman to go and sin no more. But we're not to despair, because two chapters later, John explains how it is that we do keep the commandment to go and sin no more.

In 1 John 3, 9, we read this, Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. For his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin. Why? Because he is born of God. That new man, that new creature put within us by the Spirit is incapable of sinning. Just the opposite of that old man, that old nature with which we are born, who is nothing and does nothing but sin.

And another of our accusers is our own conscience. There's an example of this in that very text in John 8. As our Lord was making intercession on behalf of this woman, he put to flight all of her accusers, because we read this in verse 9, or verse 7, I should say. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him cast first cast a stone at her and again he stooped down and wrote on the ground and they which heard it being convicted by their own conscience went out one by one beginning at the eldest even into the last and Jesus was left alone in the woman standing in the midst.

I find it interesting that the eldest were the first that went out. Now why is that? I feel like it's probably because of the fact that they had lived so many more years than some of these younger ones and committed much more sin in their lifetime, and their own conscience convicted them and accused them.

And Job spoke of another accuser as being our own mouth when he wrote this in Job 920. If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. James also tells us, and the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so that the tongue is among our members that defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell. But the tongue can no man tame. It is unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

But our main accuser, which rightfully demands our condemnation, is God's holy law. This is a standard by which everything we think, do, and say is judged. James makes it clear that all you need to do in order to be rightfully condemned eternally is to offend the holy law of God in a single point. Now, if you were to live your entire life in perfect obedience to every command in God's law and unintentionally break just one commandment, James tells us that you are guilty of breaking the entire law.

And we know that there is only one man who ever accomplished keeping every jot and tittle contained in the law. I looked these words up, jot and tittle. Jot, I think, is the 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and it's the smallest one. And a tittle is simply a tiny little punctuation mark. But that's how strictly our Lord Jesus Christ kept every commandment and fulfilled every jot and tittle in the law, being the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the God of this universe. And he didn't do that for his benefit. He did it on behalf of the elect, to become, to be made that perfect sacrifice on their behalf.

So in verse 33 of our text here in Romans 8, Paul answers the question, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? And he replies to that question in this way, it is God that justifieth. That is the title of this message. It is God that justifieth.

Now, if we can use a human example to illustrate this, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of this universe, the highest authority that is to be found anywhere, has declared that his elect people are justified. It is God that justifies.

Now, our pastor used to tell us that in the King James Bible, if you find these three letters, E-T-H, at the end of a word, it signifies a constant, ongoing process. That is the reason that this version of the scriptures is the best that there is. Now what do we mean by that? What does this word justified actually mean? Now to say a person is justified, it's a legal term. That they are declared to be just or righteous. It's a legal term that signifies acquittal. Not guilty.

But how can we be declared not guilty when this same Paul who wrote one chapter earlier, he wrote these words. We read these in the back. For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. He bemoans his condition and cries out, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I can't do it. My friends can't do it. My prayers can't do it. My Bible reading can't do it. The law certainly can't do it. We're taught that we have to have a deliverer. But in the very next verse, we find the solution concerning deliverance from our wretchedness. Paul wrote, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. There is the answer to our problem. Jesus Christ our Lord. his work and his sacrifice.

Paul knew from reading Isaiah 53 that our justification was accomplished not by us but by a substitute. Surely he hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him. And with His stripes, we are healed.

And it continues, all we like sheep have gone astray and turned everyone to our own way. And the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all like that scapegoat of old. He hath poured out His soul unto death. He had poured out His soul unto death. And He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bared the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

So because our sin was made His sin, His righteousness is now made our righteousness. It doesn't get any better than that. This is how we're justified by God, by the imputation of the righteousness of another who, we're told, is mighty to save, that King of kings and that Lord of lords. This is the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of this world, the righteousness of Christ being given unto us.

And then back in our text in Romans 8, 34, Paul follows up his first question with another. He asked, who is he that condemneth? Now, the child of God has many enemies that seek their condemnation. We just looked at some. The world in general looks at the people of God with disdain and with hatred. They always have throughout the ages. Throughout history, there is account after account of wicked men, sometimes, most times, falsely accusing God's people and sometimes condemning them to prison and death.

We have no idea how blessed we are to live in this country, to be born into a nation where we can worship unmolested. I saw on the news recently there's an ongoing genocide of Christians in, I think, Liberia in Africa. The Muslims are slaughtering entire families, women, children, husbands, and nothing being done about it. That's typical of God's people throughout the ages.

Now David knew this when he wrote in Psalm 37, 32. It says, The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. But the Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Wicked men may condemn the saints of God, but God Himself never will. Our condemnation has already taken place on a hill, outside Jerusalem called Golgotha.

And David knew the Lord never leaves his people alone when he wrote this in Psalm 109, 31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul. And also we find this in Isaiah 50, verse 9. Behold, the Lord will help him. Who is he that shall condemn me? They all shall wax old as a garment. The moth shall eat them up.

But we have another who is much closer to home that condemns us. We kind of looked at this a little bit already. Job 15 verses five and six. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I. Yea, thine own lips testify against me.

Now we looked at this similar text in Job 9 20 a minute ago. But our God gives us this assurance that even our own mouth shall not condemn us because we read in Isaiah 54 17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue including our own and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. I provide them all that is required for their righteousness.

And to be honest, we have to admit, at least this is true for me, that every moment of every day our own heart condemns us. I know you feel this way as well as I, You just get sick. You just get sick of being around you. And you wonder, how can I possibly be a child of the Lord Jesus Christ? And when that happens, I find myself looking within rather than looking to Christ. But 1 John 3.20 gives us his hope concerning our heart. John wrote, for if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.

So in verse 34, we find Paul doing what he did. In verse 33, he answers his own question. of who is he that condemneth by stating this, it is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

It is Christ that died. These five words nullify any and all attempts by anyone or anything to condemn the elect of God.

But what was accomplished when Christ died? Many, many verses of Scripture answer that question. I want to look at just two.

1 Peter 3.18. 1 Peter 3.18. What was accomplished by the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary? 1 Peter 3.18. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, not his sins but ours, The just for the unjust for this very reason that he might bring us to God. Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit that he might declare in triumph when the last elect is gathered into heaven's shore. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me.

And in our text here in Romans 8, we find those tremendous verses of assurance starting in verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Nope. Or distress? Uh-uh. Or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or perilous sword? Nope. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

And then he makes his statement. Nay, in all things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, Paul wrote, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come that might happen in the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall ever, ever be able to separate us from the love of God.

And where is that love found? Which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. It will not happen.

So the elect of God have double assurance of their salvation and redemption. It is God that justifies. It is Christ that died. The salvation of God's chosen children stands as secure as the very throne of God himself. He has promised us salvation and security in Christ, more secure as no one ever than the loved ones of the Savior.

Now are we free? There's no condemnation. Jesus provides a perfect salvation. So go home tonight, dear Saint, and sleep well, knowing that you can rest in perfect peace no matter what may come, because of all the sure and steadfast promises found in God's Word, these too are especially blessed to our hearts.

It is God that justifieth. It is Christ that died.

Let's look to the Lord in a word of prayer.